K’ntka: Family covers dead toddler in salt to bring her back to life
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Siasat photo.
Bagalkot: A tragic incident in Karnataka's Bagalkot district took a distressing turn after the family of an 18-month-old girl who drowned attempted to revive her through a ritual based on a local belief, according to a report by Siasat.
The child, identified as Amina Pathan, accidentally fell into a water sump while playing outside her home in Sector 38 of Navanagar and drowned.
Unable to accept the sudden loss, family members reportedly followed a belief that victims of drowning can be brought back to life if their bodies are covered with salt. In the hope of a miracle, they placed the toddler's body in a large quantity of salt, leaving only her face uncovered.
The ritual continued even after the body was taken to Bagalkot District Hospital for post-mortem procedures. Relatives remained with the body and recited prayers and Quranic verses while waiting for signs of revival.
Hospital sources said the child's body remained covered in salt for more than two hours. Doctors and medical staff repeatedly informed the family that there was no medical possibility of reviving the child after her death.
Authorities said medical personnel intervened and counselled the grieving parents and relatives about the circumstances of the death and the impossibility of revival through the ritual. Following prolonged discussions, the family agreed to discontinue the practice and complete the required legal and medical formalities.
The incident has drawn attention to the persistence of superstitious beliefs surrounding accidental deaths, even in the face of medical advice, while highlighting the profound grief experienced by families coping with sudden tragedy.